In Eric Townsend's article (June 5), he states Guilford County is paying $2.7 million per year for inmate health services to Prison Health Services of Tennessee. On April 30, Judy McDaniel Woodle died in prison of a strangulated hernia, yet Health Services officials refused Sheriff BJ Barnes' request for documents regarding her care, and Sheriff Barnes is not at the moment pursuing their refusal to his legitimate request.

A person in custody is dead. A strangulated hernia is generally considered to be an operable situation. There seems to be some missed responsibility in this case.

Two million dollars a year is not "chump change" for medical care, yet we in Guilford County will look like "chumps" indeed if we do not get clear answers about what transpired in Woodle's situation. At the very least, on the surface, it can appear to be a "wrongful death" case.

Prison Health Services must provide answers to legitimate questions -- perhaps not until forced, but certainly they have a responsibility to do so. It must be in their contract somewhere.

Bolling Lowrey
Greensboro